...and you are in the Caravan forum. Post this on the LHS forum to get more specific info.

Tomturansky

08-23-2011, 11:04 AM

Has anybody fixed their splice and groud strap + had the car starting to work?

grizlbr

09-23-2011, 03:37 PM

2002 Caravan chassis ground wire and ground from battery bolts to intake manifold by thermostat housing. One I repaired was cut and twisted together when transmission was 'rebuilt'.

Gold Top

09-25-2011, 09:52 AM

So I am looking for my third one of these masterpieces. Yes I owned an 88 rebuilt trans once, an 96 rebuilt trans twice. Now i am looking for a used one again from 02 to 06. I had thought that possibly I wouldn't have to worry about this any longer. Am I mistaken?

ChryslerCirrus

10-06-2011, 12:50 PM

I too am having transmission problems with my Chrysler Cirrus. I am also having problems with the throttle and idling as well. I own a 1996 Cirrus 2.5 V6. I have replaced the fuel pump, and filter. Now I am having problems with it going out of 2nd gear. When it shifts from first the RPMs run high and the same when it goes into 2nd. It will not go into Overdrive. It runs at 3500 RPM with the speed at 55. I know this is not normal. I put it on a machine and it told me that there were many sensors bad. I do not know where to start. I need to know where the tranni sensor, oxygen sensor, and any other sensor that may be causeing this issue are located. I am so ready to give up on this car. Thanks for any help you can offer.

RIP

10-06-2011, 06:04 PM

I too am having transmission problems with my Chrysler Cirrus. I am also having problems with the throttle and idling as well. I own a 1996 Cirrus 2.5 V6. I have replaced the fuel pump, and filter. Now I am having problems with it going out of 2nd gear. When it shifts from first the RPMs run high and the same when it goes into 2nd. It will not go into Overdrive. It runs at 3500 RPM with the speed at 55. I know this is not normal. I put it on a machine and it told me that there were many sensors bad. I do not know where to start. I need to know where the tranni sensor, oxygen sensor, and any other sensor that may be causeing this issue are located. I am so ready to give up on this car. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Component locations and system info can be far different on a Caravan. Copy and paste your post as a new thread on the Cirrus forum.

roosternc86

01-22-2012, 08:41 PM

so i have a 1996 dodge carovan se 3.3 with an A 604 i rebuilt it my self. my sister thought it would be a great idea to shift into reverse from drive at 60 mph. the plantinary gears was pissed. never got that tranny apart. so i got a core and rebuilt it myself. it worked fine for a while. ive since the replaced three solenoid packs. it burns up third gear every time. so i took a couple of them apart and made one work. you guys that are have probloms with whinning and haveing to rev it up to get it to move . you have one of two probloms. torque converter has shelled itself or the filters on the bottom side of the solenoid pack are clogged. the man that tault me about trannys once worked for dodge and knows all the tricks. i bult 46re and 904 ,727,and 46re. they all work fine. my grand father bought a 85 ram slant six with 727 he said it shifted smoother than factory. if yall have a question fell free to ask.. im a mopar goorue. as for the red wires splice i have never heard of that but i will ask my teach..

1996ctnc

02-01-2012, 08:42 PM

I just spent the afternoon looking for the infamous "three wire splice". What I found was in the harness that comes out of the TCM two red wires going into a splice and two red wires coming out of the splice before it went into the main harness. It was very well protected with heat shrink and looked fine I did not mess with it.

ojm37a

02-29-2012, 04:09 PM

Our '97 Dodge Grand Caravan has just started doing something similar (155K miles). The difference is that it does not shift at all. Just stays in 1st (or 2nd?) all the time. No going to Neutral. The check engine light comes on, but if I take the battery terminals off, wait a minute and put them back on the trans goes back to shifting normally for a couple of days. Then back to the no-shift situation.

I've yet to climb under and look for the grounding or splices....

Ideas?

RIP

02-29-2012, 07:00 PM

Our '97 Dodge Grand Caravan has just started doing something similar (155K miles). The difference is that it does not shift at all. Just stays in 1st (or 2nd?) all the time. No going to Neutral. The check engine light comes on, but if I take the battery terminals off, wait a minute and put them back on the trans goes back to shifting normally for a couple of days. Then back to the no-shift situation.

I've yet to climb under and look for the grounding or splices....

Ideas?

You would have been better off starting your own thread instead of tacking on to this book but you're here so....

You've probably read about "limp mode" since you're posting in this thread. You've probably read you have a few options. (1) Most change the input/output sensors with little success. (2) Dropping the pan/changing the fluid and filter will give you an opportunity to check for debris. If it's there you need a rebuild. (3) a tranny shop or anyone with a transmission specific scanner can check for two digit transmission codes that can reveal clues as to what is wrong.

ojm37a

03-01-2012, 08:39 AM

Thanks for the suggestions. Will try after vacation is over and post any results.

Vanmat17

03-08-2012, 01:00 PM

I bought a 2005 ram new. I noticed the transmission slipping fairly quickly mainly in reverse. They told me nothing was wrong. I was 38 and had owned enough cars with slipping transmissions to know better. I talked to my friend who sent me to the dealership because his friend was the sales manager. Took it back.and they found a factory bulletin. Something about being double filtered.( B.S?) Has anyone else come across this?
Its 2012 ive got 40k on the truck with alot of towing miles and it has been doingg fine. I am not light on the gas towing or not." Drive it like you stole it."
I have just added about 2k lbs of full time weight to it because I am starting my own hvac business and added a cap tools ladders etc. and will be using it daily. Im new here if someone can give me heads up on air bags or helper springs would greatly be appreciated.

JoMama509th

06-10-2013, 05:26 AM

Everyone should pay attention: I own a computer module which I plugged into my 1996 Dodge Caravan, and I've been experiencing the same "limp mode" most of you have... but I solved it. My Caravan is working great now - and it only took four hours.

I bought a computer diagnostic module on ebay for about $70 that is supposed to diagnose my caravan's problems - it came up with "Shift Solenoid" 1 of 1, which one diagnosis of one - no other probs detected.

So... I went to the autoparts store: $199. I bought it, in the thin hope it would work. In the 1996 model, the solenoid is external to the tranny, so it's a pretty easy fix. I took it to a toyota mechanic who is a friend of a friend... he said he'd replace it for $100... it would take maybe an hour, in his driveway, on a Sunday evening. He has all the tools, jacks, etc... and he seemed to have some real working knowledge.

It took him three hours... apparently there were sensors mounted above it, and other wiring that had to be disconnected and reconnected... but when he was finished - low and behold I had my Caravan back working perfectly!

Oh BTW, he ALSO used his diagnostic tool to plug into my computer diagnostic panel (located to the lower right of your steering wheel). He got the same diagnosis: Shift Solenoid"

I hope this helps... often successful solutions don't find their way here, just the problems... I have to admit, it was a BITCH to log in and get my password and ID finally accepted... but I felt that if I could help the dozens of you having the same problem, a "Known Good" up to now, anyway, tranny, there's no reason to spend a grand or more when you can get it fixed for about $300. Good luck all.

RIP

06-10-2013, 04:56 PM

You are a lucky soul. Many times a particular scanner will say this or that but it turns out to be something in left field. A scanner can put you in the ball park but that ballpark can be a monster.

fischandco

06-29-2013, 10:29 PM

To all those complaining about not being able to find the wire splice. If you were paying attention the original poster already told you where the splice is as follows
1.The red wire from the solenoid pack.
2. The red wire from the TMC/EATX
3. the wire from the EATX relay
If you don't know where these are, buy the repair manual. Tip the EATX relay is in the relay box , under the hood right hand side right of the battery look on the lid for a chart.

RIP

06-30-2013, 08:26 PM

To all those complaining about not being able to find the wire splice. If you were paying attention the original poster already told you where the splice is as follows
1.The red wire from the solenoid pack.
2. The red wire from the TMC/EATX
3. the wire from the EATX relay
If you don't know where these are, buy the repair manual. Tip the EATX relay is in the relay box , under the hood right hand side right of the battery look on the lid for a chart.

I'd bet people are looking for an answer like this: 3.5 inches from connector x on module x so they can avoid opening up harness after harness.

nsharma1999

11-04-2013, 08:50 PM

I have a 1999 Dodge Caravan which I bought new which now has approx. 100,000 miles. A few months ago the transmission started to slip and $1600 later I was the owner of a rebuilt transmission.

Fast forward 4 months and the transmission started bucking with intermittent hard shifts. Oddly enough the check engine light would come on and then go off. Like I said this was intermittent. Then three weeks ago the speedometer started acting like it was possessed. I would be driving and sudddenly the needle would jump from 50 to 120 back down to zero and everywhere in between. While it was doing this the transmission would start hunting for a gear and the van would start "bucking" for lack of a better word.

The check engine light would come on and sometimes the van would go into limp mode where it would only run in second gear. The upshifts and downshifts were harsh.

So I take it back to the transmission repair shop and they hook it up to the computer but they can't get a code. All the while the check engine light is on and the engine is racing at 3000 rpms. I can't drive faster than 50 or the revs go even higher... hence the term "limp mode".

The mechanic scratches his head and says he's not sure what could be causing this and alludes to the BCM/ECM, throttle body. Having done my homework I advise te mechanic that I'm pretty sure it's the Output Speed Sensor. After some discussion he agrees and two hours later I have my van back with the new $20 part.

Sure enough as I drive away the van runs like it's brand new. Now I'm wondering if I needed a transmission rebuild in the first place 4 months ago.

Anyways the lesson here is if your van has the same symptems you owe it to yourself to check the two sensors on the front side of the tranny. Also, check the wiring that plugs into the sensors as apparently this is problematic on these vehicles. This minor repair could save you $1600.:2cents:

rizky17

12-09-2013, 04:21 AM

wow thank you seems to me to be more to know about automotive

JJFURAY

03-04-2014, 06:39 PM

George Arthur3. Just do I understand correctly from your original post. What was the secret for these transmission? Replacing the ground strap? Thanks, JJFURAY

RIP

03-09-2014, 05:56 PM

George Arthur3. Just do I understand correctly from your original post. What was the secret for these transmission? Replacing the ground strap? Thanks, JJFURAY\

Considering he started this thread 10 years ago and has posted twice in that 10 years he's most likely long gone. Replacing the ground strap has fixed some problems. I think his major point was telling us about the infamous shabby splice in the transmission electrical system. The implication is every van has that splice. Subsequent discussions on this and other forums concluded it was a limited production line fix for a very few early production 3rd generation vans.

masseymechanic

04-30-2014, 12:22 PM

I run a fleet of Dodge Caravans from 1997 AWD to 2005 Caravan. The biggest problem we have found is the wiring itself. Comparing them to other makes over all they stand up the best. That being said. Transmission issue in the 1997. Same complaint as everybody else. At this point I am putting new shift solenoids in because they are due for it, not that they are gone. At over 300,000 km it is time. Will be checking all ground connections and voltages as I go through the system. Will post faults as I find them. We affectionately call them Crapavans.:sarcasmsign:

pathic2003

09-04-2014, 01:15 AM

The 1995 dodge caravan has a red wire splice at the connector to the tcm located on the passenger's side firewall under hood just under windshield.at the conector there is a remuvable wire cap held on bye two side plastic clips.remove this cap find red wire follow it about four inches back there is a splice that splices two red wires ceck it first.
Then on same vehicle under battery is a splice on the big red wire it goes from red to green for about five inches then back to red.
Check that.the ground that hooks to the back end of starter bolt gos to your ac unit not the tranny but check it anyway.there are four ground wires to car altogether one is in middle of firewalk just under hood below windshield hooked to ac tubes other is passenger side firewall next to horns another is from battery to motor on driver side hooked to front cam head then last is one on bottom front hooked to back starter bolt about middle of car .
Hope this helps. I've replaced sensors in and out the solenoid pack and checked everywire but im still in limp mode my error code reads 37 witch means bad solenoid but that wasn't it ive paid hundreds and still up the creek without a paddle it blew the tranny system fuse twice before all this that was my only warning when the fuses blew it was after a rain i hooked up th diagnostic tool and it didn't read the computer at all.but the check engine light dos read 37 .im confused anyone had this problem plus my speedometer and odometer and overdrive don't work .

BobSwanson

01-20-2015, 12:19 PM

I don't need you to tell me that this isn't a PT Cruiser forum. I can read just fine thank you. However, the Chrysler PT Cruiser and the Dodge Caravan have the same transmission. So, having said that, can you tell me where this splice is in the PT Cruiser exactly?

RIP

01-20-2015, 04:56 PM

I've never even touched a PT Cruiser.

cowboystuff

01-07-2016, 08:16 AM

It's been a while and I was wondering if Sammantha had, had a cure for the transmission problem and the codes they had.

138jbeck

02-01-2016, 11:52 PM

I'd bet people are looking for an answer like this: 3.5 inches from connector x on module x so they can avoid opening up harness after harness.
Well, I can say that this splice does exist, and in the Caravan I was working on, it was indeed just around 3 1/2" from the connector plug on the TCM (transmission control module) on the passenger side firewall.

After trying to diagnose my buddies 1990 Dodge Caravan 3.3 that was stuck in limp mode I discovered this exact thread on this forum. I took the tape off of the wiring harness near the TCM plug and discovered two red wires that ran next to each other. About 3.5" from the plug the red wires go into a short piece of black heat shrink tube. I cut the tube open and the red wires had been stripped for about 1" and were simply pressed together with only the shrink tubing and glue to make the contact. I separated the red wires, cleaned and soldered them and guess what, no more limp mode!

While that solved one problem with my friends Caravan we have a mystery miss that seems only to happen when the engine warms up. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. Please see link below to my post for the details.

Ya, I found that splice and one other. That splice has one wire from the relay, two wires from the TCM and one wire from the solenoid pack. I cut it apart, cleaned and re spliced the connection. No Difference, for me.
I finally found and bought the DRBII scan tool and body cable, $500, and the 41TE transaxle diagnostic book, $9.00. The book is needed to for analyzing the system with the DRBII scanner, as it has the diagnostic flow charts and what to do next. End result?
1st gear is fine, 2nd gear is fine, reverse is fine, but 3rd gear and overdrive clutches are slipping and the transmission needs a rebuild. $1500. After I got the scan tool and the book, it only took 10 minutes to properly analyze the problem and get the exact end result, after buying parts, throwing money at it, checking here, youtube and the internet, for 5 months. The local Chrysler dealer absolutely could not help me, and also no longer even had the DRBII scanner to even do a quick relearn of the TCM.
Currently trying to save money for the rebuild and should have just taken it to the transmission shop, back in August.

NigonKouk

03-22-2016, 06:08 AM

SERVICE ALERT FOR MOPAR TRANSMISSIONS BETWEEN 1990 AND 1999: It has been determined that in over 91% of the transmission problem cases reported (limp mode) that the problem is due, not to mechanical problems within the transmission, but is due instead to a faulty inline wiring harness splice from the factory. The wire from the TCM, the second wire from the solenoid pack and the third wire from the ECU was wired together at the factory when it was determined that there was a communications error to the ECU which is a factory/design flaw.

So on the production floor, a last minut repair was approved to correct the problem. This three wire splice is located in the wiring harness just on top of the transmission down by the three wires that connect to the three plugs located between the radiator and the tranny (or in the region about 12 inches under the battery). Follow the three wires from the front of the tranny and you'll see them disappear into a plastic wireing harness cover about a foot away from where they plug into the tranny. This wireing harness goes into a T junction with another wireing harness. Peel off the entire outer plastic conduit harness covering the T junction about 8 inches in all three directions and you will be able to see the other three wires wired together in a makeshift splice under some factory electrical tape. Peel that tape off and you will discover that the splice is corroded. Because of this corroded factory last minut splice which said corrosion appears about between 30,000 and 120,000 miles depending on how wet your geography is, the ECU cannot communicate with the selenoid pack that goes to the transmission so irregular shifting occurs, namely Limp Mode.

Most certified mechanics only detect the fact that the selenoid pack is not getting a signal or the ECU is not sending a signal so they think that either the selenoid pack is bad or the ECU is bad. They are wrong in both cases. Un-splice the three wires, cut off the corroded wire ends, cut back the insulation to the three wires and RE-SPLICE THEM. Then cover them with new tape. Now the tranny coil pack can recieve messages from the ECU to shift the tranny. Its that simple! ! ! ! ! ! ! Your eternal problem has now been permanently solved and your tranny will shift like new! ! ! ! One other thing, on some Mopar vans this simple problem that causes real havoc in these beautiful vans is the ground wire to the tranny is corroded and must be cleaned or replaced as it causes that same exact simptom of limp mode due to a bad connection.

If people making their complaints on this page knew this, they would still love their vans because they can fix it themselves. Mopar corperation knew this but cannot admit to it as it would cause the largest recall in U.S. history of any vehicle. Now you know what Mopar should have told every Caravan and Voyager purchaser from the get go, clean 3 little wires and problem solved. I assume many mechanics find this after replacing a transmission and re-wire the splice and never tell the customer so that customer thinks the new tranny solved the problem.

- vonbraun, Los Alamos, NM, USA

RIP

03-23-2016, 04:16 PM

SERVICE ALERT FOR MOPAR TRANSMISSIONS BETWEEN 1990 AND 1999...

So so very old and for the most part erroneous news.

dokar

04-12-2016, 08:28 PM

1995 vision. Saturday went into limp mode for first time. 167,000 miles. over the passed year I have been experiencing. wiring issues. hard uneven running for first 10 minutes then CEL comes on and car ran fine. Did the code reading. and it would state a new problem shortly after fixing the previous one. To start TPS changed. Symptoms came back a week later. Went to a mechanic this time. Change TPS connector. Week later again. I changed air flow and MAP. week later if i touched barely the MAP connector, the car would die. Pulled pins out and found 2 female were loose. a month later ignition pack. Then the ignition connector 1 out of 4 was loose. Then Crank position sensor. That was done by the mechanic again and I asked him to check all grounds feeling this is a signal problem. That is still how I feel about this now limp mode issue. I cannot retrieve tranny codes (dont know how) eng codes are 12 - batt disconnected and 55 - end of codes. Did a voltage test at eatx relay. Get 12V on one and only .05 on the control when ign is turned on. Opened and checked harness to PCM and pulled pcm. Opened and checked harness to tcm and pulled tcm. No pin on tcm gives me a reading of more the .5V. pin 56 and 57 are suppose to be my 12v. but 56 is not used on my tcm. I dont know which one is the 12v supply. Have a feeling its a connector issue or wire. I dont have a lift and try to worm my hand to the connector under the car at tranny is a pain. Got to input through wheel well. Output is nestled between body and cat. Was looking for the infamous splice everyone is talking about. The only thing close I could find was three wires leaving the tcm. red black and white/b that go into their own wrap with a shield wire. But those 3 all come out together by the top right strut. Thought i was onto something though when I noticed the radiator blow off runs right onto the wring harness along the pass. chassis rail. Opened the loom and everything was caked with old anti freeze. but all wires looked still good. Did anybody ever figure this out? Car runs great, quiet now except for the limp mode. Dont want to drop a tranny in it if its still going to screw up. Where is this SPLICE everyone is talking about? Thanks in advance

dokar

04-16-2016, 03:48 PM

Well I just spend hours on the car. Pulled the harness from the tray all the way to the junction box and found nothing. No mysterious splice. Pulled the fuse box and traced the black signal wire from the eatx relay. Pulled the loom from fuse box to pcm drivers wall to tcm pass wall then from there to junction box. Again, nothing. This has to be an electrical problem. The eatx still only gets .05v with ignition on. Checkerboard the grounds as well

Herpu Sesoa

06-19-2017, 06:19 PM

the spliced wires are located about 3 inches from the TCM on the passenger side firewall for my 94 Dodge caravan. my van has not gone into limp mode since cleaning these two wires and reattaching them together. I also recall a post where its stated about a purple wire being cut and which kept the TCM from thinking that the transmission is over heating, i see the same cut and splice in the wire loom for some people wires. I'm wondering if that could possibly be corrosion causing those wires issues as well.
pics attached:

Well, been working this problem for about a year and a half, trying this and that and everything everyone else suggests. So about 8 months ago I bought off ebay, a Chrysler DRBII diagnostic scan tool. $500, and I also bought the most important thing to go with it. The 1993-1994 41TE / AE Transaxle Powertrain Diagnostic Procedures manual. Also a Chrysler book. The scan tool, shows you the codes that don't show up with your check engine light. I had to start reading the books instructions right from the front just to understand the whole deal. The book is easy to understand and easy to use. You can check a lot of things using a multimeter, but knowing the actual codes sure is necessary. Before you start replacing the TCM and ECM, there are paths to take to diagnose your problems and they are easy to check. The codes I finally showed up with three days ago were; besides 12, (battery was recently disconnected) 13, 15 & 19. So 13 was Internal Controller (watchdog circuit test), 19 was BUS communication with PCM or ECM, and 15 Relay always off. 15 was the clue for me, as I'd already threw money at this thing replacing things. 15 was the TCM relay, so I had to start checking all the wires connected to it, and the connections in the TCM 60 pin plug, for proper connections and no shorts. First I made shure the power wires were flawless, and respliced where necessary. What I found was the ground wires coming from the relay needed resplicing. I also checked the connections on the shift pack. I also cheecked and cleaned all the ground connections on engine and trans and the one on the AC low pressure valve on the firewall. I also used Dielectric grease on the 60 pin plug when I put it back in the TCM. It seems to be working fine now. I've also replaced the speed sensors and every other sensor I could find, in the effort of throwing money at it. Never hurts to have all brand new though. When I originally used the DRBII Diagnostic scanner, I went through a lot of tests checking the trans, and did find, that the OD clutches were slipping badly and the trans did need a rebuild. They replace a bunch of stuff, along with some fractured planatary gears. Check ebay for the book for your car and if you can find a Chrysler garage that still has a DRBII, or a friend that has one, that would help. If you replace the TCM, you absolutely do need the use of a DRBII to do a relearn, after the install, rebuild, or even a fluid change in the trans, which does require special fluid too. I've included here a pic of my book.

Something else I did along the way was on the accessory cable that plugs into the positive battery cable, had some bad and broken connections in it and there were a bunch of fusable links feeding off it to various points, like the TCM and more. So I pulled the harness up and started fixing positive connections in there and replacing burnt fusable links. Quite possible in newer vehicles they added that fuse panel under the hood, replacing fusable links, and that sure would have made things a lot easier for me.